Published 10:00 pm, Friday, September 9, 2005

The Bremerton man dashed onto Safeco Field in the middle of a Yankee game last month and got in a whirl of trouble.

Griswold was carrying out a promise he made to his ailing mother. He vowed to take her to the ballpark for her 63rd birthday Aug. 31.

Dianne Griswold suffered from diabetes, kidney disease, a massive stroke, the amputation of a leg and two bouts of cancer.

A huge Mariner fan, she would relish such a mother-and-son moment.

If only she had lived to see the day.

Dianne died six months ago -- on the day after Valentine's Day, when her heart gave out.

Her son, however, kept his word.

Griswold, as I wrote in last Saturday's column, bolted from the stands during the fourth inning of the Aug. 31 baseball game. He carried a large plastic cup and a sign with a picture of his mom. He spread the contents of the cup onto left field before security rushed up and took him away.

His mom's cremated ashes dusted the outfield.

Griswold's story touched hundreds of readers who told me he acted out of love and respect for his mom.

To some, the 36-year-old carpet installer became something of a folk hero, a guy whose intentions were pure even if his actions were technically wrong.

People wondered what fate dealt him.

Griswold faced criminal trespassing charges, jail time and a whopper of a fine.

Last Saturday, he stood before Commissioner Adam Eisenberg of the Seattle Municipal Court.

The judge asked him if he knew what he did was a no-no.

Griswold said yes.

Did he know that his actions also presented health-code issues?

Yes, Griswold nodded.

Griswold acknowledged wrongdoing and showed remorse, the court said. He believes people should be personally accountable for what they do.

He did feel tense standing in the courtroom, more so than when he dashed out in front of thousands of wide-eyed people at the game.

In court, Griswold sensed something, but he could not quite put his finger on it. It seemed as if the judge and others knew what Griswold had done could not go without punishment. But they also appeared to be touched.

Bob Conner later put the feeling Griswold sensed into words.

Conner was the King County sheriff's deputy who escorted Griswold off the field.

"John was a very polite man ... very apologetic and sincere. It was obvious ... he loved his mother very much and this was his way to honor her memory or carry out her wish," Conner said.

The deputy had lost his own mom and dad to heart problems.

"I can easily put myself in his position," Conner said, adding, "although I told John that there were other ways to honor his mother."

The time eventually came for the judge to hand down a sentence for Griswold, case No. 475666: no jail time.

The judge -- weighing the circumstances and Griswold's clean record -- chose to defer prosecution for the fan who rushed the field.

Griswold will have to pay no more than a $75 fine and must stay out of trouble for 90 days. If he does, the trespass charge will go poof.

Mariner officials, who don't take ceremonial ash dropping lightly, say Griswold is banned from Safeco until September 2006 -- a tough stand to deter copycats.

"Bummer," says Griswold, a die-hard who loves going to games. "But it is the price I've got to pay."

The sporting world can be a fickle place.

A big-league player gets suspended a few games for using illegal steroids.

A big-league fan gets a season-long suspension for breaking the rules just once out of love for his mom.

Justice may not be entirely blind. In the case of citizen Griswold, though, the baseball gods could use a pair of glasses.